NY Islanders: Are the Bruins possible trade partners after Bergeron's retirement?

Boston Bruins v New York Islanders - Game Four
Boston Bruins v New York Islanders - Game Four | Bruce Bennett/GettyImages
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The Boston Bruins suffered a massive loss on Tuesday when NHL legend Patrice Bergeron announced his retirement after 19 seasons. This comes after Bergeron decided to run it back for one more season with the team that drafted him in 2003, and it resulted in a 6th Selke Trophy being added to his collection along with the greatest regular season by any team in NHL history points-wise. With David Krejci's future also in doubt at age 37, the Bruins will likely be looking for the next solution at center before the 2023-24 season begins.

There are a few routes they could go- Boston could elevate Charlie Coyle or Pavel Zacha up to the top line to center David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand, but that's probably not ideal for a team whose window is closing fast. Mark Scheifele from the Winnipeg Jets is also on the trade block, but he severely lacks the defensive presence that Bergeron brought for the last two decades in Boston. If the Bruins are looking for a responsible, two-way center that won't cost as much as Scheifele, then the NY Islanders may look into making a pitch to GM Don Sweeney about acquiring J.G. Pageau from Long Island.